Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 35 Astrology

The overall strength of spearmen is undoubtedly top-tier among all unit types; their only drawback is their relatively low output.

Compared to endless hordes of skeletons and flying sprites, spearmen are mediocre, but their effectiveness depends on their specific purpose. Currently, Su Mu's core force is still the Earthbow, which urgently needs a front-line tank, making spearmen even more crucial.

Moreover, there are many evolution paths for spearmen. If they can be baptized by earth element, they can grow into another powerful defensive unit – the shieldman!
Fortunately, he has the mountain fortress, creating a perfect closed loop.

This week's training slots for guard towers have been exhausted; otherwise, Su Mu would have been eager to train new soldiers.

In short, he's determined to take this guard post; no one can change his mind.

At this moment, Forrest came over and reminded him, "Something seems wrong. The horn can command level 1 beasts, but the berserk bears are level 2 units and are under the command of heroes. The enemy came prepared."

Su Mu nodded. He had long suspected something was amiss: "If the other side is truly the vanguard of the Esidor Empire, sending a centaur army would be the best option. There's no need to cause a beast tide; it would be redundant."

As for the berserk bears, these guys are definitely specially trained troops.

Orling reminded them, "The Angry Bear Clan is located just north of Longlit Castle!"

The three of them looked at each other but remained silent.

Logically speaking, the Angry Bear family, as a powerful marquisate and the backbone of the kingdom, would they really launch a beast tide when Isildur is invading? Unless they secretly rebelled.

Forrest said, "The Angry Bear family is known for its bloodthirsty magic. Although they train wild bears, I've never heard of a force of this size."

Since they failed to capture the escaped hero, they were also unable to ascertain the origins of the mastermind.

The other party concealed their identity and instigated a beast horde to attack the village, precisely to avoid exposure. Even if it wasn't the Angry Bear Clan, it was very likely the work of a nearby human lord.

In chaotic times, it's common for people to annex each other and turn against each other for profit, so one must be careful.

But the enemy is in the shadows, and no conclusion can be reached for the time being.

After capturing the watchtower and memorizing the route, Su Mu headed towards the mountain fortress.

Behind the familiar cave, they encountered the wandering scholar, still a ball of light floating about, chanting unknown and mysterious incantations.

"Throw the raw stone in!"

The Bow of the Earth obeyed the command, and stones were continuously thrown in. The orb of light was like a bottomless abyss, accepting all that came.

When all eight raw stones were fed in, the ball of light contracted rapidly, and a mysterious figure wearing a gray scholar's robe emerged from within.

“I have wandered here from a distant continent and have mastered two hard-won spells. In gratitude for your gifts, I am willing to pass them on.”

The scholar slightly raised his left hand, revealing a vast open field. A series of clanging sounds rang out, and soon buildings began to rise from the ground.

【Building a Tower from Sand (Level 2, Earth): Uses sand to replicate buildings in the main city. The effect and duration are affected by the level of Earth magic.

初级土系魔法：1-2级建筑，25%生产率，只能维持1周时间（1次招募后立刻损坏），冷却时间1个月】

Su Mu was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a production magic.

Most heroes practice combat magic, and when stationed in a city, they enter a long period of rest, their magic abundant but useless.

A few production spells can fill this gap, such as "accumulating sand to form a tower," which, although consuming a huge amount of magic each time, can provide a real boost to the town's output.

This magic is naturally best suited for architects, but Su Mu still had Ouling learn it as well. Although a main city cannot repeat the same type of magic, what if there are multiple cities in the future? One should still have lofty ambitions.

When practicing the "accumulating sand to form a tower" technique, Forrest displayed superhuman talent, mastering it in almost an hour. Su Mu, due to his proficiency in earth magic, also grasped it in a very short time.

Only Ouling suffered; his mental simulation of piling sand collapsed in no time. Left with no other choice, Forrest guided him step by step, allowing him to barely grasp the fundamentals of magic. He still had to return to diligent study and practice.

After the three of them had exhausted themselves, the light in the scholar's left hand completely went out, and the other party said somewhat sullenly, "Your appetite is a bit greedy!"

Despite being teased by scholars, Su Mu remained unfazed; the saying "don't miss out on a good opportunity" goes without saying. Learning alone is one thing, but learning in a group creates a much better learning atmosphere.

Anyway, the wandering scholar has traveled to many worlds and seen all kinds of people, so he wouldn't bother with them. However, Su Mu was quite impressed. Production magic is always relatively rare, especially level 2 and above. Often, it might take four or five main cities to find one. The wandering scholar gave it away so easily, which made him even more eager for the magic to come.

However, to everyone's surprise, the scholar in front of them also started to play tricks.

"You can choose to continue learning another spell, but you can also hand over some resources. If you satisfy me, I will teach you a special rare spell!"

Listening to the scholar's devilish whispers, Forrest and Orling both looked at Su Mu, their eyes filled with hope.

Su Mu was already cursing in his heart. This scholar who wanders through the heavens and other worlds can fool novices, but he actually tried to fool me.

Generally speaking, special magic is extremely powerful and rare, but it also places much higher demands on the caster. If the backlash of the spell cannot be suppressed, the caster may become a magic puppet without will. In short, those low-level heroes definitely couldn't handle it.

Of course, it's more likely that the resources they submitted weren't good enough for the scholars, so they could only regretfully say goodbye for next time.

Not only did we lose a chance to learn magic, but Old Deng also took the resources and won't return them. He's a heartless and unscrupulous businessman.

Su Mu immediately stepped forward to stop the other party from continuing to bewitch him: "The magic you treasure is naturally extremely rare, but we are just a few uncouth savages who probably can't learn advanced magic. Just keep the original magic."

"That's a real shame!"

After the wandering scholar finished speaking, he waited for a long time. Seeing that Su Mu did not waver, he had no choice but to show his right hand. A gust of spiritual wind swirled around him, and wherever it blew, the speed of that place increased significantly, as if even the world was speeding up.

[Rapid Acceleration!]

Su Mu originally intended to practice this magic at the Magic Guild in Langlit Castle, but he didn't encounter it. However, he obtained it by chance here. It was truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it".

"Quickly, you go first!"

First, push Ouling up. He is an expert in air magic, so he will be able to learn this magic much faster.

In less than half an hour, Ouling had mastered the Swift Acceleration technique and was quite enjoying it. It seems that heroes who are archers naturally have a sensitivity to the atmosphere.

This time, they switched to Orling Church's Forrest, and Forrest lived up to expectations, learning air magic after a certain amount of time.

When only sappanwood remained, the light on the scholar's right hand had become extremely dim.

After all, he had offended the scholar and was worried that the other party would cut corners.

However, being a scholar who roamed the heavens, Su Mu didn't bother with them and still managed to learn Swift Acceleration under extreme circumstances.

After the three of them finished practicing two spells, they were almost completely exhausted. Learning magic in such a short time, and outside of the magic guild, was indeed the limit.

If the scholar provides a level 3 spell, they might not be able to complete the training within the allotted time.

Su Mu found it unlikely. Eight raw stones could be exchanged for a level 3 spell? Did they really think the wandering scholar was a philanthropist?
It's perfect right now, and it suits these three rookie heroes very well.

As the magical light faded, the wandering scholar's figure became blurred. Su Mu waved to him, thanking him for his efforts.

The scholars shook their heads as they flew, seemingly lamenting the opportunities they had missed.

With a flick of his right hand, he released specks of starlight that coalesced into a dazzling image. There were elves drawing bows and shooting arrows, centaurs leaping with halberds, and angels wielding lightsabers that burned the heavens... Countless beings gathered together, illuminating the entire starry sea.

"I am an astrologist!"

Even though he thought he had considered everything and chosen the best answer, Su Mu still felt a pang of heartache.

This is astrology.

Astrology can predict celestial phenomena like the Burning Moon, which can aid in a hero's advancement. Furthermore, astrology can guide and alter celestial phenomena. Even regional celestial phenomena are terrifyingly powerful.

The scholar seemed to realize that Su Mu knew a great deal about astrology, and gave a mysterious smile.

"Perhaps we will meet again in the future!"

(End of this chapter)